1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reproducing apparatus for a record medium such as a digital audio optical disc on which subcode has been recorded along with main data such as audio data and visual data.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a CD reproducing apparatus on which audio information has been recorded, various reproduction information is displayed for user""s reference. Examples of such reproduction information are a track number and time information corresponding thereto. The reproduction information is recorded as mode 1 of Q channel of subcode.
Recently, a reproducing apparatus that uses R to W channels of subcode recorded in a lead-in area for character information such as an album title corresponding to a disc has been proposed. Such a disc is referred to as CD-TEXT disc. As formats of CD-TEXT discs, lead-in information (mode 4) and program area information (mode 2) have been defined. When the TOC of a CD-TEXT disc is read, the lead-in information is stored in a memory (RAM) of the reproducing apparatus. The user can see the lead-in information with a proper operation of the apparatus. On the other hand, program area information is displayed at a timing designated by the producer of the CD-TEXT disc without need to use a memory. In the following description, the mode 4 of the CD-TEXT disc will be mainly described.
When a CD-TEXT disc is loaded to the apparatus, CD text information is read. The CD text information is decoded and stored in the memory of the reproducing apparatus. When necessary, the decoded character information is displayed. Thus, since the album title, performers, and so forth of the CD-TEXT disc are displayed, the user can know the content thereof at a glance.
In the CD-TEXT disc format, information of up to 6500 characters can be recorded. Since information such as album titles of most CD-TEXT discs is 800 characters or less, character information in up to eight languages can be recorded. As will be described later, in the CD-TEXT disc format, a text group is composed of block 0 to block 7 corresponding to up to eight languages. In each block, one character code is used. In the format, the block 0 should be present. In the case that the storage capacity of a memory of a reproducing apparatus is insufficient, only the block 0 is selected and read with priority. Thus, major languages are successively assigned to blocks in the order of lower block numbers.
As described above, since information in only a particular language (for example, block 0) is automatically read to a memory, information of other languages (other blocks) recorded on a CD cannot be used. In addition, when text information in a plurality of languages is read to the memory, since a priority language has been designated, if the priority language does not match a user""s desired language, the user should designate the desired language. Thus, the user""s language determinating operation becomes complicated.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a reproducing apparatus that designates a priority language and automatically reads text information in the designated language from a disc such as a CD-TEXT disc on which text information has been recorded in a plurality of languages.
A first aspect of the present invention is a reproducing apparatus for reproducing at least one program, text information corresponding thereto, and a language code for determining a language corresponding to the text information from a record medium, the record medium having a program area on which the program is recorded and a management area on which the text information and the language code are recorded, the reproducing apparatus comprising designating means for designating the language code corresponding to an operation of the user, a memory means for storing the language code, a comparison means for comparing the language code stored in the memory means with the language code reproduced from the record medium, and a reproducing means for reproducing the text information in the language designated by the designating means from the record medium when the compared results are matched.
A second aspect of the present invention is a reproducing method for reproducing at least one program, text information corresponding thereto, and a language code for determining a language corresponding to the text information from a record medium, the record medium having a program area on which the program is recorded and a management area on which the text information and the language code are recorded, the reproducing method comprising the steps of (a) designating the language code corresponding to an operation of the user, (b) storing the language code to memory, (c) comparing the language code stored in the memory with the language code reproduced from the record medium, and (d) reproducing the text information in the language designated by step (a) from the record medium when the compared results are matched.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent in light of the following detailed description of a best mode embodiment thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.